Justification:
A tree endemic to Ecuador's lowland coastal forest in Esmeraldas and Imbabura provinces, where nine populations have been recorded, as recently as the 1990s. The species can be locally abundant and grows near rivers (Sleumer 1980). Protected in the Reserva Ecológica Cayapas-Mataje and the Reserva Ecológica Cotacachi-Cayapas. Classified as "Rare" by the IUCN in 1997 (Walter and Gillett 1998). Apart from habitat destruction, no specific threats are known.